Three Steps To Choosing a Right Domain Name For Your Blog

Your blog name is your site’s brand name. Your readers would use this name when referring to your website. It is this name that they would type into their browsers when they visit your site.

Here are three steps that you can follow to create an effective name for your blog:

Step 1: List Down The Following Items

Before trying to come up with a few ideas for your blog name, you must first establish a few things.

• Your niche

This seems to be the most basic before you even think of creating a blog. But it is better to clarify what is running in your head by writing everything down.

• Your blog’s topics

You can divide your niche even further into different topics. These topics would likely be the categories of your site. Jot them down and highlight any items that you can consider as part of your blog’s name.

• Your target audience

What are the characteristics of your ideal audience? What is their purpose for visiting your blog?

Use these characteristics and your target audience’s purpose in coming up with names. Ideally, these characteristics and their purpose should match your blog name.

• Your blog’s tone or voice

How do you want your audience to perceive your blog? How would you describe your blog’s tone or voice? What are the words you want your audience to use in describing your blog?

Is it serious? Is it funny? Is it casual? Is it direct?

Write down the words you want to be associated with your tone. This list will help you get a more accurate description of the feel for your blog. This feel should go well with the name you choose.

• Your branding strategy

Are you making your blog to promote your business, product, or service? If so, your brand name, product, or business could be a more appropriate name for your blog.

Step 2: Brainstorming for the Name

You can easily list down ideas with the help of the words and ideas from the previous section. Don’t disqualify any of the names you come up with just yet. Let the ideas flow and write them all down so you can go back to it later.

Here are some ways you can create potential blog names:

• Use a thesaurus.

In the previous section, you listed down and highlighted a few words that could be a part of your blog name. Look for words that have the same meaning in the list.

Choose words that sound more unique, or more exciting than the ones you usually use, read, or hear. You can use any of these words by itself or combine it with a more common one.

• Use a different language

This is a good way to stand out in a populated niche. You can use related words or abstract ones.

Choose words that you can easily spell and say. This will make the potential blog name easily remembered by your target audience. A good rule of thumb is to go for words with fewer letters and syllables.

• Use short phrases from your favorite books.

This is a great way to create names for personal or art blogs especially if it resonates with your character or content. If you can choose one that you associate with personally, write it down.

For other blogs, try to recall books related to the niche of your blog that have personally touched you. Look for lines that can inspire confidence in your brand, or make your blog stand out from the rest.

• Jumble and play with your words.

You can combine or mix words to create original ones that you can use for your blog name. You can add prefixes and suffixes to create a new spin to a word. You can reverse the arrangement of a word.

You can use Panabee.com to create unique alternatives to your ideas. You only have to enter two words from the lists you wrote. The site would provide different and related ideas that you can use.

• Abbreviate your name

You can put in words together and just abbreviate them for easier recall. This way, you can still create meaning behind the name without making it too long.

A few examples of this are: JBL, K-Mart, IKEA, 3M, and AT&T.

Step 3: Testing the Name

Now, you’ve got a list of potential blog names. It’s time to see if these would pass the following tests:

• Does it sound good?

Say the name out loud. If it feels and sounds awkward, you might want to use a synonym, or add a letter to change the pronunciation.

• Is it available?

Check the domain if it’s available. Check for domain availabilities with .com, .net, and .org.

It is recommended to use .com domains. Internet users default to it when entering domains in their browsers. Also, it is best to avoid domains with no existing .org and .net sites. Avoid domains that have similar names but use dashes or dots in their domain name.

Checking for trademarks would also help in avoiding potential problems in the future.

• Does it look good as a domainname?

Type your idea on a document as a domain. Is it possible for it to be read differently?

To give you an idea, here are some domain names that are just too easy to misinterpret.

• Americanscrapmetal.com
• Therapist.com
• Penisland.net

• Does it have good staying power?

Would the name still be relevant in 5 to 10 years? Trendy names will eventually go out of trend, which would make your blog sound outdated and out of touch.

Also, you might decide to change your niche in the future. A name too specific in its niche can limit your opportunities in rebranding your site.

• Does it need to be explained?

If it needs explaining before people get it, you would have to think of a more effective blog name. Your blog name should hint of your content by simply having the reader hear or read it.

Changing blog names entails changing your domain. Add to this losing the brand recall and recognition of your previous name, it is best to put in the work now in creating your blog name.